Safety coupling



June 18, plPER SAFETY COUPLING 2 Sheets-Shet 1 Filed June 9, 1939 Inventor J55 rv Pi b e 2' 2M and 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q Inventor fifin Pz ber i z. 5m

J. PIPER SAFETY COUPLING Filed June 9, 1939 F E E ii v I June 18, 1940;

Aiiorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY COUPLING John Piper, Uniontown,

Pa., assigncr of onefourth to Abe Cohen and one-fourth to Max Cohen, Uniontown, Pa.

Application June 9,1939, Serial No. 278,345

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to couplings for mine cars and similar vehicles and has for its primary object to provide a device of this character in which the respective sections of the coupling may be automatically secured in position for coupling the cars together without necessitating a person entering between the cars, the invention further embodying means for releasing the coupling mechanism from a position along'one side of the car.

The invention has for a further object to provide a spring projected stem attached at one end of the car and a pair of pivoted clamping jaws carried at the adjacent end of another car and adapted to automatically receive and secure the stem in position thereto in a manner to permit free lateral swinging movement of the stem relative to the jaws to compensate for the relative movement of the cars while traveling over a curved track.

A further object is to provide an apparatus of this character of simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, eflicient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which-- Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a pair of mine cars showing the coupling mounted in position thereon.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of one of the cars with parts broken away and shown in section.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 33 of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is a similar view taken substantially on a line l4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially on a line 55 of Figure '7.

Figure 6 is a similar view showing the jaw members in an open position, and

Figure '7 is a sectional view taken substantially on a line 'l'! of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a mine car of conventional construction to one end of which is secured a casting 6 for one end of the coupling, the casting projecting outwardly from the end of the car and having a rounded outer end 7 within which is formed an opening 8 and through which opening the coupling stem 9 projects. The stem 9 is of polygonal form in cross section and is slidably mounted between upper and lower pairs of guides Ill and II respectively to prevent rotation of the stem. The inner end of the stem is provided with a reduced extension l2 having its inner end slidably mounted in an opening in a transverse partition l3 formed in the casting and mounted on the extension l2 between the forward section of the stem 9 and the partition is an expansible coiled spring Hi to yieldably maintain the stem in an outwardly projected position. A pair of vertical pins iii are positioned in the casting inwardly of the opening 8 and adapted for engagement by a cross-pin [6 carried by the stem to limit outward movement thereof. The outer end of the stem is bifurcated as shown at ll and formed in its outer portion is a cylindrical head It, the axis of the head extending vertically.

The other end of the car 5 is provided with a casting 19 of substantially similar construction which projects outwardly from the end of the car and has its outer end rounded as shown at 20 and provided with an opening 21 therein. A pair of pins 22 are arranged vertically in the casting immediately inwardly of the opening and on each of which are pivotally mounted cooperating jaws 23. The jaws are provided with arcuate opposed faces 24 to provide a recess, when in their closed position, as shown in Figure 5 of th drawings, to accommodate the head l8 in a manner to secure the head in position therein while at the same time permitting lateral swinging movement of the stem relative to the jaws in the positions as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 5 to compensate, for the movement of the cars while traveling over a curved track.

To the outer ends of the jaws 23 are secured coiled springs 25 for yieldably maintaining the jaws in an open position as shown in Figure 6 of the drawings.

The inner ends of the jaws are formed with a shoulder 26 adapted for engagement with the opposite side edges of a catch 29, said catch being slidably mounted between a pair of guides 39 formed in the casting and having a reduced inner end 3! slidably mounted through an opening in a partition 32 formed in the casting. An expansible coiled spring 33 is mounted on the reduced extension 3| between the partition 32 and the outer end of the catch member to yieldably project the latter outwardly.

Accordingly, in the operation of the device and by the movement of the head I8 of the stem 9 into engagement with the arcuate opposed faces 24 of the jaws 23, the latter will be closed into engagement with the head which will also cause the shoulders 26 to swing inwardly into position for engagement with the opposite side edges of the catch 29, the catch thus securing the jaws against opening movement.

In order to release the catch 29 from the jaws, to permit opening movement thereof, a hook shaped member 34 is secured to the upper edge of the catch member and projects outwardly of the casting through an opening 35. An arm 36 is pivoted at one end to the top of the casting l9 and positioned in engagement with the hook 34, the other end of the arm being pivotally connected to a link 3'! which extends longitudinally of the car and is bent angularly upwardly as shown more clearly in Figure 2 of the drawings, for attachment to one end of a lever 38 pivoted as at to the under side of the overhanging side edge 25 of the car. The lever and link are thus secured in a protected position against accidental contact with objects which might have a tendency to manipulate the lever to release the coupling, or to prevent injury to workmen while the cars are moving through the mine tunnel.

It is believed the details of construction and manner of operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A vehicle coupling comprising a spring projected stem slidably mounted at one end of one vehicle having a coupling head at its outer end, a pair of arcuate jaws pivoted adjacent one end to another vehicle and arranged with their other ends projecting outwardly for cooperating engagement with the head, the pivoted ends of the jaws being formed with a pair of diverging extensions, spring means yieldably urging the jaws in an open position with one of the extensions of each jaw disposed in the path of an approaching movement of the stem and adapted for actuation by the stem for closing the jaws, each of the other of said extensions defining a shoulder, a spring projected catch engageable with the shoulders upon a closing movement of the jaws to secure the jaws against opening movement, and a hook shaped catch releasing member projecting upwardly from the catch and actuating means for the hook shaped releasing member, said hook shaped releasing member being free of the actuating means to provide for the unrestricted movement of the catch into engagement with the shoulders of the jaws during a coupling movement of the jaws.

JOHN PIPER. 

